China meets Tibet envoys
Updated
Envoys of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama have held talks on the weekend in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Professor Robbie Barnett, Tibet specialist Columbia University.
BARNETT: It's a little bit strange that the talks were so short, it seems that they may have finished already and general expectation was that they might be at least three days. So we have to wait until the Tibetan envoy's next statement before we are able to really assess what's gone on here.
LAM: Well already, a spokesman for the Dalai Lama has voiced fears that China might have seen the talks as a PR exercise. Do you think his concerns might be valid?
BARNETT: Well, there are some strange little indicators which slightly support that, if we're very looking at details carefully. They've very much improved their press coverage from the official newsagency of this event, tried to look rather transparent, giving the names of their own negotiators for the first time, spelling the names of the Tibetan negotiators correctly, that's unusual too and not referring to the Dalai Lama as the Dalai which is a rather derogatory way the Chinese sometimes use.
So they're quite attentive here to international kind of profile I think. But it would be a little cruel for us to be saying just based on that evidence that this is just a PR exercise. It's probably a big factional conflict going on within Beijing about whether to just use this as a delaying tactic to try and get through the Olympic Games and further to try and wait for the Dalai Lama to die, which is what a lot of Beijing hardliners seem to be hoping for as a solution to their problem, or whether the more generous minded officials, more moderates are looking for some kind of solution to come out of this.
LAM: But, as you say, Beijing might have been more diplomatic, more politically sensitive. But it wouldn't go down to well with the international community if such politeness is not matched with action on the Beijing side?
BARNETT: Yes, there are ways of looking at this as something like the traditional smile on the face of the tiger, because back inside Tibet there's no indication at all of any improvement in conditions there and the rhetoric there is just accusation against the Dalai Lama.
The Chinese when you talk to officials, they say, oh well, they're actually accusing the Dalai clique of instigating these protests rather than the Dalai Lama himself, but that's pretty thin distinctions to be made, probably people are saying between 2,000 and 5,000 people have been arrested and huge denunciation campaigns are taking place across Tibet. No journalists or foreigners allowed in anywhere there. So we're not seeing any development on the ground yet, and I think it will be sometime before we can expect to see any.
LAM: Finally Robbie Barnett, there is a lot of ground to make up is there not for there to be any meaningful dialogue. There's much distrust between both sides. How might this be overcome, do you think?
BARNETT: Well, there are interesting, in fact very small signs which we could think might be hopeful. One is that the very strident, strong movement among Chinese people, particularly overseas and students in what's called the New Nationalism now. It has of course an important point, an important role. One of the roles it plays is it does get Chinese intellectuals much more involved in the issue.
I mean you see some of those intellectuals taking a very thoughtful view and beginning to take positions on blogs and so on which are favourable. The other thing that might happen is that those intellectuals in China will start talking to Tibetan intellectuals inside Tibet, very impressive people there looking at possibly very nuanced kinds of solutions that might be possible in the future and of course hoping that the Dalai Lama will be allowed to represent those. So we shouldn't close off all hope here. The Dalai Lama's quite a an amicable person if he gets to negotiate with the Chinese, he may be able to steer them towards a face saving solution that would suit all sides.
